Zip Line
by KJay99
Summary: Zip Line training turns a bit more exciting and reveals the answer to an old mystery referred to in the pilot.
1. Prepping Leena

**So, just a bit of fun that I converted for release over a skimmed over story line that I wanted to peruse. **

**Special thanks to my group in the Warehouse! Lady NRA, Lynnutte, MariaRene, and Kendralynora. Input from Kendralynora.**

**Of course, I do not own a thing and am only borrowing my favourite characters and promise to return them. **

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Agent Peter Lattimer entered his boss's office in a dilapidated, rusted secret facility in South Dakota. Inside a sterile hallway lined with bombs, Pete yawned and punched his code into a keypad. The thick security door slid open with a hiss to reveal a crowded and eclectic work space.

Fellow agents Steve and his young partner, Claudia were chatting with their boss, Artie. The Bed and Breakfast's owner, Leena was listening and watching from a short distance away.

Everyone said hi or nodded to Pete as he stumbled through the office towards the coffee maker, not trying to stifle his yawns. Pete grabs his personal mug with "World's Best Partner" across it. He smirked at it on the counter and the hot pot of coffee ready for him. He took that as a 'welcome back' from his partner Myka. Knowing her, she was probably up for hours already, even though they both just got back last night from collecting a particularly nasty voodoo doll from the swamp lands in Louisiana.

Artie was spouting in his typical information over flow when talking about his passion, artifacts. "Talk to the sheriff there. He's expecting you two." Steve nodded. "I've narrowed it down to any one, or all of a particular cooking group. Personally, I would watch this one…" Artie stuck a short finger on a picture of a young, pretty looking, woman on the crowded white board. "Uh… Peggy." Artie and Claudia both flinched at the name.

"Peggy." Claudia restated as if she didn't believe the lousy case that she was being assigned. "Artie, Winnipeg?" She took a deep breath, as if steadying herself to handle such a lousy case. "C'mon Jinksey. Lets go nab Betty Crocker." She quipped. Steve chuckled.

"Do NOT underestimate this artifact!" Artie yelled, suddenly serious. "Two men in the hospital, one woman has been in a coma since Wednesday."

The two young partners reflected their boss's seriousness. Steve said, "No worries. We got it Artie."

"Yup." Agreed Claudia. "All over it."

Coffee in one hand, Pete dug through the small fridge. He moved aside a thick, old book that Artie mysteriously kept in there and found half a turkey wrap that he remembered from before his trip. He grabbed it eagerly and headed back into the office, thus armed.

Pete arrived just in time to see Artie roughly holding out airline tickets for Claudia and Steve to fly to Winnipeg, Canada. Artie shooed the partners out the door roughly, but not without betraying his concern for those under his care with a deep sigh as the door closed behind them.

Leena sipped coffee from a mug that had "Bottoms up!" on the bottom that you can see when you tilt it. Her eyes lit up. "This is good coffee! I'll have to get some for the bed and breakfast!"

"Can't." Artie replied before thinking.

She shot him a disapproving frown. "Why not?"

"From Door County. Em… Wisconsin." Artie blinked at her confusion. "You know, the little part that's physically attached to Michigan?" He held up hand while trying not to spill his coffee to demonstrate the shape of Michigan and where the coffee came from, much to her humor and disbelief. Leena shook her head gently and warmly smiled in disbelief at the eccentric supervisor. Artie shrugged and went back to sipping his really good, if hard to find coffee.

Pete sat at Claudia's desk chair and focused on the wrap to be devoured. He nodded at Artie, and a second later realized that his boss was looking pointedly at him. Putting down the wrap with a sigh, Pete turned to him.

"Yes boss man? Need something from me?"

Artie took a breath. "What do you think about taking Leena today and showing her how to work the zip line?"

Pate shrugged. "Sure thing." He turned back to his wrap but stopped hearing a sharp breath intake from Leena. Pete stopped and slowly put the wrap back down to take in her reaction.

"Fastest way around the Warehouse." Artie was saying. "Best to learn about it now, while it's calm. And by calm I mean no buildings falling or vacuums running about!"

Pete tried for the wrap again, but again was interrupted, this time by Leena.

"Artie, I've avoided it so far! There's always another way. A more—grounded way!" After a moment of thinking she added, "I'm sure that there's nothing that Claudia can't take care of on the zip line. Not to mention that it can take her weight!"

Artie was quick to comfort her on that issue. "_I_ still use the zip line. Its-" he faltered for a moment, looking for the right word. "Well, its fast." He lowered his eyes and got up before Leena could demand more information. "C'mon. I'll get you the equipment." Artie led Leena out of the office to get the egg helmet and safety harness.

Finally in peace, Pete picked up his wrap once again. Suddenly, an annoying buzz disrupted the office and nearly ripped him out of his skin. Not willing to give up his breakfast, Pete rolled the chair over to Artie's Farnsworth and flipped it open with a clean pinky finger as Pete finally got a bite out of the wrap.

Myka's face came into focus on the little screen. "Art- Pete!"

"Hi Myka!" Pete managed out of the corner of his mouth while chewing.

She squinted into the device. "What is—is that the wrap from like, last week?" She said incredulously.

Pete considered for a split second before he decided it isn't worth his effort. "Uh… sure?" Pete dug into another huge bite.

"Ew. You seriously will eat anything!" Myka said.

Pete paused, considering her displeasure. He decided to chalk it up to Myka being wound way tighter than he was. It had to help his digestion and account for his iron stomach. He swallowed. "Where are you?"

"Town." Myka replied. Pete knew that he should have figured that his partner was up and out before he even got to the office.

"You need anything?" Pete asked with his mouth half full again.

"Well, Artie would be nice." She said. Pete motioned to the door that he disappeared through, wondering if that would be enough for Myka to figure it out. "Ah." Said Myka. "You can just tell him that those electrical harnesses are out of stock at the hardware store."

"Okay." Pete said, taking another bite, making Myka cringe.

"Listen, I know that Artie needs these harnesses, so tell him that I'm going to just go to the store in Rapid Valley." She said to her partner.

Pete nodded and gave Myka a mute thumbs up, while chewing. After Pete swallowed he leaned into the Farnsworth to say, " Will do! Warehouse out!" Pete snapped the device closed.

Pete forced the rest of apparently week old wrap down his throat and was washing it down with the rest of his coffee when Artie came back with Leena in full zip line garb.

Leena's cotton sundress was swapped out for a green flight line jump suit. It effectively changed her from peaceful agent caretaker to something resembling a fighter pilot. Over the jump suit Leena wore a thick safety harness.

Pete's eyes widened over the coffee mug in humor. It lowered with just a bit of coughing as Pete start laughing, earning him scowl from both of his co-workers. His hands went up in defense.

"No, no! You look great!" Pete got up to stood next to Leena. He grabbed a strap and pulled at the shoulder harness. "You look… ready for action! This will keep you secure at least. Looks good." Pete said testing another strap.

"I know how to secure a safety harness Pete!" Artie griped at him.

"And this certainly isn't my first time in one either!" Leena joined in on the band wagon.

Artie did a double take at her, but recovered a moment later to say. "Uh, Pete, give her just a few short runs, just enough to test it out, get the feel." Then to Leena, "I just want you to be familiar with it so that if you do have to use it in a hurry, it won't be the first time."

Leena nodded. "Of course."

The supervisor put the egg helmet on Leena's curly head of hair and tugged it down into place then stepped back, next to Pete, to admire his work.

Artie tilted his head a little and Pete fought hard to repress a smirk, but failed. Pete thought that Leena looked ready to go, but also a little like those guys in Space Balls, the Movie, with her egg type helmet on. Artie and Pete glanced at each other in humor and a little bit of dread. Pete just knew that Leena was going to stop making his favourite cookies for a month, at least.

Artie snapped out of it. "Well!" he waved his hands and shooed both Pete and Leena out of the office door leading to the Warehouse balcony. "Go, go! Scoot!"

Leena practically waddled in her get-up. Pete held the door open for her and exchanged a full blown smile with Artie over the humor of the outfit before he followed her out the door to leave the old man shaking his head at the whole thing.

At the zip line balcony, Pete triple checked Leena's harness and safety gear. Artie checked it. Leena checked it. But it was safety, so she tolerated Pete checking over her one more time.

Pete made Leena regurgitate the operation of the release snaps to the zip line, and the clips to release the harness around her. She explained the operation of the devices well enough to satisfy him. Pete nodded and tugged on her harness one last time, checking the snugness.

Leena finally gave him a look of exasperation, which told him that he was almost done. Pete gave Leena one of his boyish grins. "How you feeling? Ready to go for a ride?"

"Only if you get out of my way." Leena responded, raising her eyebrows.

Pete kept his authoritative attitude in place to get the job done. He briefed her again on the length of the planned trip and her dismount location in the aisle that the line was pointing down.

"Ok, just a short trip this time. Don't forget to roll when you hit or you'll break an ankle. If you get too far out, just keep your head and I'll relocate you to a new landing spot. Ok?" Leena started to glare at him until Pete started to wonder if she could see irritated changes in her own aura.

"Let's just get this over with. I'll be fine!" She's obviously had enough of the prepping from him. Pete knew that it was time to let her fly out on her own. He moved away from the gap in banister to let Leena step up to the edge of the balcony. She gripped the handles of the harness and took a deep breath.

Leena pushed off of the ledge of the balcony into the gap between the balcony and the rock hard concrete floor of the Warehouse.


	2. Letting Her Fly

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Soaney, fixed. Jahmen, wow! **

**Now, without further delay:**

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Pete's adrenalin spiked until the metal rope caught Leena's weight. She zipped off into the air above the Warehouse aisles, picking up speed. Leena let out a semi-terrified, half exuberant squeal that bounced around the Warehouse. Pete grinned widely at her display of joy. Turning around, he saw Artie smiling through the blinds of the office, keeping an eye on the action. He smirked at Pete and turned to do whatever it was that the man did in his office, leaving Pete to do his job.

Pete picked up his coffee cup and sipped it, waiting for Leena to approach the landing zone and dismount. Raising the cup to his lips, the smile faded. Along the zip line wire, Pete barely made out a white glow. It was almost like static, or St. Elmo's Fire, but more colourful. It was so faint that he could barely make it out at all. Pete slowly lowered his coffee mug, enraptured by the mystery.

Walking forward to touch the zip line, a white discharge erupted from the line, making Pete step back in surprise. The charge seemed to be following Leena, running along the line roughly 10 feet behind her. Pete wondered if the static was created by the harness running along the wire. He started running through any options that he could think of, suddenly missing Myka and her brain an awful lot. Pete was just about to call for Artie, when Leena released herself from the line and the energy display suddenly disappeared completely.

Surprised, Pete grabbed the line to test for electricity. He frowned because he only felt the vibration from the release of weight. Pete ran down the balcony trying to catch up to Leena and check on how the dismount went.

A few minutes later, Pete ran up to the clairvoyant who was already making her way back to the Warehouse office. She was walking awkwardly with the loose safety harness; struggling to hold her helmet in one hand and the harness in a comfortable position with the other.

"Thought you were going to be there to help me out!" Leena said as Pete ran up to her.

"Ya, sorry. How did it go?" Pete was out of breath, but he reached to grab her helmet, freeing a hand for her to wrestle with the harness better.

"Fine, I suppose. This harness though… Not really meant for…. Well for humans!"

"You should see Artie wrestle into it!" The both smirked at the thought. "I think that's why he makes Claudia do it now." Pete fell into step beside her to the office. "So, what did you think? Doable?"

"Well, not something that I'd want to do on a regular basis…" Leena complained as much as the cheery woman could. "But, it does get you there quickly!" She smiled at the memory of the ride.

"Heh. Yeah." Pete considered the mysterious electrical discharge. "Did you… ah- feel anything at all?"

"You mean like the rush of taking my life into my own hands?" Leena quips glancing sideways at Pete.

He laughed. "Well, that. But I mean, like anything in the line at all?"

Leena looked at Pete in confusion. "Not that I can remember. But I was occupied at the time." She nearly tripped over the harness hanging loose around her knees before she bent down to pick it up again.

Pete wrinkled his brow in thought. He was more of an instinct guy, not a critical thinker. He didn't get a vibe, so it couldn't be that dangerous. Perhaps he could get the white glow to reappear. "Up for another ride then?" He said as the staircase to the balcony came into view.

"Uh…" Leena hesitated. "Another ride?"

Pete tried to reassure her. "Yeah. Really get the hang of it. I'm sure Artie will sign you off after a second ride out into the 'wild blue Warehouse'." He smirked at his own reference to the flying song.

Leena sighed and eyed the zip line warily, but agreed to go again. In no time, they were back up on the balcony readjusting Leena's safety gear. She gave Artie a "thumbs up" when he was caught peeking through the blinds.

Pete said, "Do me a favour. When you're going down the line, keep your eyes peeled and let me know if you feel anything- odd. OK?"

Leena squinted at him with growing suspicion. "Like what?"

"Anything! Something that doesn't feel right. Anything at all. The first landing spot is really close, so if you don't like something, just dump off there, but try for the second site. It's only about a 20 second ride out." Pete pointed to the aisle that lined up with the balcony so that Leena could spot it.

"Okaaay." Leena followed his finger. "Anything… 'odd'." She looked at him hard. "Something I should know about?"

"Nah. Just- I thought that I saw something. It was probably nothing! You know me. 'Crazy Pete.' Nothing to worry about!" Pete over-acted the goofiness, even by his standards. He flashed a wide smile that he hoped inspired confidence. "Ready to go?"

Leena rolled her eyes and turned back to grip the handles of the next zip line harness. "Let's get this over with."

"Okay, okay. Try for the second landing spot if you can." Pete restated so that it was the last thing on her mind when she jumped. Then he added, "Don't want to you wiping out a row of artifacts or anything." Leena narrowed her eyes at him so he huffed a laugh. "Just wait for the landing spots. And hey, have fun!" Leena shook her head at him, then gripped the handles and launched herself off the balcony before Pete even stepped back to watch her jump.

Pete shook his head at the surprising eagerness from the normally docile lady. But his grin faded when he saw the colourful static starting to accumulate behind her again.

"_**ARTIE!"**_

Pete rushed up and gripped the zip line with one hand. There was a slight tingle, but he couldn't tell if it was the vibrations from Leena zipping down the line, or not.

He frowned in annoyance and shook his head. Suddenly Artie was beside him. "What? What's wrong?" Artie said quickly.

Pointing down the line Pete said, "Can you make out that shimmer? It's on the line following Leena. About 10 feet behind her."

Artie whipped his head to follow Leena. Pete reached up and gripped the line with both hands. He thought that he could feel a slight tingle in the line.

Artie jumped when a discharge arced in the form of a lightning bolt from the line into the air above the Warehouse.

"Wait for the landing spot!" Pete yelled out. He knew that Leena probably couldn't hear him, but he yelled at the TV during the Browns games too.

Artie was gripping the balcony and leaning out. They were both tensely watching the situation, and also both helpless to do anything about it from the balcony.

It was obvious that Leena saw the lightning display too because she started kicking and twisting in the harness.

"_Wait for the landing spot!"_ Pete yelled again in the vain hope that she could hear him. Pete was leaning dangerously far over the railing, far enough that Artie felt the need to reach out and grip Pete's shirt without peeling his eyes away from the situation.

He started to mutter, "Wait… wait… wait for it!"

A second lightning discharge and subsequent jump from Artie made Pete jump as well. They could see Leena look up, and kick her feet and twist in the harness. Artie's fist started to dig into Pete's arm. Pete subconsciously pulled against him restraining him.

Suddenly Leena was falling free of the zip line.

"**NO!"** Artie and Pete both screamed.

Artie sprinted along the balcony. The fast man was scampering down the stairs before Pete was even off of the balcony. Pete hesitated just long enough to spot where Leena fell before following his boss.


	3. Unexpected Results

Pete's shoes pounded against the concrete as he looked for Leena and chased Artie down the aisles. Artie paused to glance up at the zip line before he took a turn to the right then left to follow the line. Another pause from the supervisor to look up as he followed the line again allowed Pete to catch up.

"Artie! To the left! She went down left of the line." Pete shouted to him making Artie shoot off again at top speed.

By the time Pete caught up to him again, Artie found Leena. Unfortunately, what Pete thought was Leena was buried under debris and activated artifacts. Artie pulled up short and gasped, horrified at the scene. Pete rushed up, out of breath and into Artie's outstretched arm barring him from going forward. Artie gripped Pete's shirt, forcefully holding him back from the scene. "Bags…. And- and neutralizer!" he said into Pete's face. "Quickly!" The old man was barely out of breath.

Artie put both hands on Pete, forcefully turned him around and pushed him toward the end of the aisle. Pete ran to the neutralizer station and ripped off 3 or 4 bags and grabbed two sets of gloves. He sprinted back to Artie and handed him two bags, taking one for himself. Artie pulled two gloves from Pete's hands. He had them on and approached the active artifacts before Pete could even wrestle one hand into a glove.

Pete managed to get both hands into the gloves and followed the forest green, broad back. Artie glanced around, quickly accessing the situation, evaluating the most dangerous of artifacts to bag first. He pointed to a tinker toy robot walking across the floor. "Pete." He said simply as he approached a ball floating above the prone Leena.

Pete frowned at the toy robot. It looked pretty harmless, like a normal toy wind up robot. But, Pete had been at the warehouse long enough to not disregard anything. If Artie wanted him to bag that one first, that was good enough for him.

The agent approached the wobbling robot like he expects it to shoot lasers from its eyes or something. Pete squinted his eyes at the toy. Nothing surprised him anymore in the Warehouse. Just as he convinces himself that the robot was going to do something freaky, he simply picks it up. It continued to walk in his hand, but otherwise did nothing impressive. "Hum!" Pete shrugged and dropped it into the bag.

Instead of static, the robot popped out of the bag, straight up. It arced slightly and hit the shelves on its way down, activating a stone frog that started croaking and jumped into the aisle.

"Man! Really?" Pete glanced over to see Artie snag a flying glimmer of light out of the air and duck from the sparks produced. Looking back, the robot landed on its side and was helplessly trying to walk on air. By passing the robot, Pete chased down the frog. Fortunately it was still mostly stone and relatively easy to snag. In short order he was holding both artifacts above the neutralizer bag. Pete dumped them both in and held the bag closed against his chest while it jumped and sparked. He looked down to see if his shirt was on fire. Brushing out a smoldering spot, he moved on.

Pete approached Artie just in time to get his two full bags shoved forcefully into his hands. "Here. Take…" He doesn't bother to finish his sentence, but turned to pull a crate off of Leena while Pete returned to the neutralizer station for more bags. A few seconds later, Pete was crouching beside Artie helping him lift a heavy crate back onto a stack where it belonged. The agents grunted with the weight, but between the two of them, they lifted it off of Leena. Pete bent down and started pulling packaging materials off of what he believed was Leena.

Pete uncovered part of the zip line harness which Artie grabbed and pulled on. Leena rolled out into the middle of the aisle with a lady-like groan.

"Leena! Are you ok?" Artie asked nervous with worry.

Leena opened her eyes. "I think so." They both helped her to sit up. Artie unbuckled the strap under her chin and pulled the helmet off to hand it to Pete. The egg white helmet had a long scrape along the side of it. She stretched and held her back saying, "That's going to bruise in the morning… I had a weird dream that I was the Queen of Spain." Leena murmured.

"That would be the essence of the Diamond of Madrid." Artie replied automatically. "Makes you think that you are- well… the Queen of Spain." He shrugged and smirked. "It was floating above you. Must have been activated by the crash."

Pete held up the helmet and displayed the scratch. "Looks like it's a good thing you had this on."

Artie's eyes went wide. He grabbed Leena by the shoulders and peered into her eyes intently. "Look at me. Are you sure you're ok?"

Leena looked right into his brown eyes. "Artie. I feel fine. Just, help me up here." She put her hands out and Artie and Pete both took one to help her to her feet.

As soon as Leena stood, she cringed. "Ow!" Artie reactively grabbed her upper arm and sat her on a crate.

"Wha- what's wrong?"

Leena grimaced a little. "My ankle. I must have twisted it when I fell." She frowned, almost in disappointment.

Artie started to take her shoe off, so Pete made his way to the end of the aisle again, keeping his eye out for jumping stone frogs, or floating diamonds from Spain. Under the neutralizer station was a first aid kit. He grabbed it and headed back.

Just as the shoe was coming off, making Leena wince, Pete walked up. Artie looked around. "Pete… can you grab the…" Pete held up the ace bandage that he dug out of the kit. "Thanks…" Pete held it up, out of his hands.

"I can do that. You take a look around and make sure that I secured the artifacts ok?" Pete offered.

Artie glanced at Leena, then at Pete, and nodded his agreement. "Careful…uh.. her foot." he said when he handed over the foot that was propped up on his thigh, then made his way to the neutralizer station, scanning the shelves for activity as he went.

Taking over the first aid, Pete asked Leena. "So, you doing ok?"

"Yes, and if you two stop asking me, I will still be ok." She snips at him.

"Ok!" Pete said with a humored smile. He busied himself with her foot, then added, "Still making cookies tonight?"

"No promises." She levels him with a hard gaze. But it was coming from crystal clear eyes and a sharp voice, so Pete smiled at it.

"Did you feel anything, I mean before the light show started?"

"Not a thing. But Pete, what was that lightning?" Leena asked.

Pete shrugged as he wrapped the gauze around her foot again. "No idea. I was hoping that you might have an idea."

"Me? How?"

Pete shrugged again. Finishing up, he tucked the end of the gauze in on its self and patted her foot. "All done!" Pete smiled, but Leena pressed her lips at the annoyance of having a sprained ankle.

Suddenly, there was a "ZAP!" noise. All three people in the aisle looked around wildly. Half way down the next aisle up, a rainbow colored electricity ball appeared and grew. In the middle of the ball looked to be something solid that Pete couldn't quite make out.

Artie was at the end of the aisle, and closer to the event. Leena called out to him. "Artie, what is that?"

"I… I don't know!" His voice was raised to be heard over the electrical static and crackling. He cautiously stepped closer to the event, tilting his head a little.

"Artie?" Pete called out. He was suddenly getting the idea that Artie was going to do something – not fun.

From their spot half way down the aisle, Leena and Pete saw Artie suddenly straighten up and run forward. In a flash, he was gone, disappeared into the electrical hole.

Pete looked at Leena, immobile on the crate. "Go." She said simply.

Pete dropped her foot and sprinted down the aisle. The electrical discharge was wavering and starting to get smaller as he ran closer to it. Pete pushed as hard as he could, going for broke. He leapt into the air just as the edges of the hole started to close. Pete felt the it close around his heel as he fall through the space.


	4. Stasis Space

**Not sure if anyone is still reading or not. **  
**This is certainly a little different from my other submissions. Hopefully it will hold your attention.**

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Pete dove through the multi colored and rapidly reducing static hole; head first and horizontal. His planned landing was thwarted inside of the electrical portal-thingy. The change in ground level was just enough to throw off his landing. He was fast enough to react to the ground and roll, sliding to a stop on his shoulder. _That'll bruise_. Pete thought.

"Pete!" Artie said. "What are you doing?"

"Landing awkwardly." Pete groaned out. Taking inventory of himself, he gathered himself and accepted Artie's hand to help him up.

A burning smell made Pete sniff the air. It was accompanied by a pain from his foot. Pete started hoping around one legged. He would have laughed if he wasn't busy cursing. Artie nearly stomped on Pete's foot trying to put out the smoldering fire, but instead he grabbed Pete and ripped the shoe off.

Right foot bare, Pete stood and smirked at the old man. "Can't let you have all of the fun you kn-."

Pete was suddenly thrown sideways and rolling on the ground before he realized that someone was on top of him. Pete shoved and spun, trying to get back to his knees but strong fingers grabbed his neck and squeezed with inhuman strength. A thick, middle aged man with crazy hazel eyes and a buzz cut lurched at Pete, forcing him backwards.

The stranger, on top of Pete, leaned over him. He was squeezing as hard as he could, cutting off Pete's air supply. The guy was big and seemed impervious to Pete's strikes.

"Get off of him!" Artie suddenly appeared and grabbed one of the man's arms, prying it off Pete's throat. The man broke his hold on Pete to push Artie and back hand him, making the agent cry out stumble backwards.

The distraction was enough to make the crazy man shift his weight. Coughing, Pete threw him off and pounced. Pete was on top and drew his fist back to strike when Artie grabbed his arm. "Pete! Don't hurt him!"

Pete glanced at Artie in disbelief. The crazy man took the opportunity to knee Pete in the gut then grabbed his shirt and pulled him into his elbow landing on Pete's jaw, throwing him to the side. Pete rolled and sat up. Rubbing his throat, Pete groaned, "Me hurt _him_?"

Artie launched himself at the man and managed to hold onto an arm. He used his superior weight to hold the man down. Pete quickly regrouped and dove back into the fight. Between Artie and Pete, they pinned their attacker to the ground.

"Stop! Stop fighting!" Artie yelled. "We're not going to hurt you!" The man thrashed like he was insane. It was quite the challenge for Pete to hold onto one arm. "Stop! _Tony!_"

Pete didn't know where Artie got the name, but it made the man suddenly go still. His eyes went glassy and stared off into space. Pete was worried that they hurt the crazy guy, and so was Artie, because he leaned into the man to look into his face. "Tony? Tony?"

"Careful Artie." Pete croaked out in warning. The guy already got a few good hits in on him and Pete suspected that he could be playing opossum.

But Artie, ever the empathetic person, slapped the guy's cheek to get him to stop looking like a zombie, which didn't work. It seemed like the crazy guy, whoever he was, retreated into himself. He just stared off into, well the nothing that they were in. Even when Artie and Pete carefully let go of him, the guy just continued to lie there.

Pete followed Artie's lead and released the man, holding his hands up, at the ready, just in case. The man looked thick, like he always had hard work and food, or been a soldier. Artie got the man to sit up, which he did in the same trace-like state. "Tony? It's Artie. Hey…."

"You-" Pete coughed and swallowed against the pain in his throat where crazy man choked him. "You know this guy Artie?" Pete said in a raspy voice while rubbing his achy jaw.

"Tony Harper." Artie replied. He gave Pete a nervous/worried look which Pete waved off. "He disappeared in the summer of 1985 while doing inventory for the Warehouse."

"Inventory!" Pete croaked out. Even the most menial tasks seemed to have unexpected dangers in the Warehouse.

"Yeah. But—" he waved his hand in front of the man who stared off like a zombie.

Pete leaned in. "What's wrong with him?"

Artie shook his head. "I don't… 20 years of solitary confinement in… in wherever we are."

Pete looked around. "Good question. Where _are _we?"

Artie tenderly felt his cheek where he got smacked as he looked around. "Some kind of… stasis?"

"Inter-dimensional rip?" Pete offered. Artie gave him a hard look through his glasses. "What? That's what they would say in Star Trec."

Artie got to his feet, so Pete followed. Pete carefully started walking, curious to see if they had walls in their non-descript area. While carefully keeping his hands in front of him, Artie said, "Judging by the way Tony hasn't aged in 26 years, time- at the very least- doesn't pass the same way out here as it does in the Warehouse."

"Any idea what caused it?" Pete was imitating Artie's exploring motion, holding his hands out in front of him.

Artie winced in thought. "Maybe a build up of energies in the Warehouse? Or—an artifact that opened the portal? Nikola Tesla did some work on an inter-dimensional matter transporter but he never transported more than…." he continued to murmur mostly to himself until an electrical discharge made him pull his hand back. "Ah! I think I found a wall."

Pete got the same result. "Me too." He shook his hand out to get rid of the electrical zap Pete received when he touched the edge of their little prison. Artie and Pete turned to look at each other. The space was about 15 feet wide. Finding the 'walls' of their space meant one thing at least. They were trapped.


	5. White Walls

**No reviews again?**

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After carefully searching their inter-dimensional white prison, and singing his finger tips quite a few times, Pete turned around to shrug to an equally frustrated Artie. He let out an aggravated sign making the man that Artie called Tony whimper.

Artie glanced at Pete who nodded indicating that he did hear the guy do something other than attack and be a zombie. Artie quickly went to Tony and kneeled in front of him. "Tony?" He put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Can you hear me? It's Artie. From the Warehouse. Remember me? I'm… a bit older than you would have seen me last time." Artie touched his graying curls. "But it's been a **long** time."

The crazy half naked man named Tony didn't responding to Artie's talking, but he kept trying, so Pete left him to it. Pete turned to face the invisible white 'walls', for lack of a better term. It seemed less of a wall and more of a region where the environment couldn't tolerate them, so the—air, he guessed, rejected them resulting in the electrical discharge that they felt.

Pete took a breath. He knew that his theory was probably all wrong, but that was the best that he could think of. Artie's voice was still mumbling to Tony softly. He was talking about past agents. People that he thought that Tony might know, or used to know. Pete guessed with it being so long, and agents not lasting long, most of the people must be dead. Artie mentioned Mrs. Fredric. Pete smiled. Ok, one exception to the rule. That woman was timeless. Literally.

Pete turned to look at the two other men sharing his prison. Artie talked so tenderly to Tony, as if talking him down from a ledge. Pete figured that he must know the guy. Artie knew his name, so he knew something about this man, but there seemed to be an actual connection. Something from the back of Pete's brain came forward. He remembered Artie showing him a picture of Artie when he was first at the Warehouse. Mrs. F was in the pic, looking as she always did, but the others were all dead. Except Artie, and one other, who was "lost".

Pete realized that's what the deal was. This must be the "lost agent" from the Warehouse's past. That was how Artie knew him. "_But… what did Artie say? Twenty –seven years ago?_" Pete thought. The guy, especially shirtless, didn't look to be over 38 or so. "_Does that mean… that the guy didn't age in here?" _He thought before saying out loud, "Whoa."

Artie glanced at Pete for a moment then continued his monologue. His voice was calm and constant. Pete supposed that if they have unlimited time, then he shouldn't freak out about being stuck. Tony looked fine. He looked insane and comatose, but he didn't look hungry or anything. Pete actually thought that he looked like he just got a hair cut last week. What remained of his shirt was lying on the ground, so he picked it up. One sleeve was ripped off and the other was shredded, but the rest was relatively serviceable, so he handed it to Artie who considered it, then talked to Tony before putting it on him.

Artie's voice picked up again in his calm but engaging drone. It helped to put Pete at ease in spite of their predicament. Pete noticed that Artie was keeping an eye on his activities. Pete turned back to where he thought the 'wall' of our prison was and considered it. Then, he glanced at Artie again. Pete wasn't sure, but it looked like Artie was closer to him than before. Pete found the edge of the hot electricity again and waited five minutes. Putting his hand out again, the 'wall' was much closer. Pete took a step back, "Uh… Artie? Bad news. I either I'm getting claustrophobic, or this place is getting smaller."

Pete showed Artie where the 'wall' was. Pete got shocked and burned when he touch the edge, but—he wondered what would happen if he tried to push through it. There wasn't a hard anything to hold him back that he'd discovered. He decided that it was worth a try.

Pete reached into his pocket and pull out a pen. He carefully poked it outwards until he got it zapped with the electrical resistance that he felt before. The electricity shocked him through the pen, so Pete pulled down the sleeve on his now less than white cotton shirt and held the pen through the cloth on the sleeve as insulation. Pete could feel Artie paying attention to his experiment as he poked the boundary again. Electricity fried the pen, but he continue to push it outwards slowly. Pete pushed it out another inch and the electricity jumped through the pen and sleeve but he still kept a grip on it. Pete focused and kept pushing the pen until the electrical boundary reached his fingers. The metal on the pen heated up and fried Pete's sleeve until it caught fire. He cried out and dropped the pen, shaking out his hand. Artie jumped up and patted out the flame muttering, "I have to put you out more times than the dog!"

Pete would have laughed, but he was too busy shaking out the pain from the burn on his hand. "Where's the pen?" They looked around and found only the end of the pen that Pete was holding. Artie held it up for both of them to look at. The pen was melted and decenigrated.

Pete gulped uncomfortably and looked at Artie. His eyes carried the dread that Pete felt. Artie tilted his head and said, "That's not good."


	6. Urgent Change

**Just when I thought no one was reading...**

**All I can say is wow! Thanks to everyone for reviewing! Rosa Clearwater and, of course, the WH gang! :D  
And to CompromisedSerenity, Awesome Review. Thank you SO much. **

* * *

With a new found sense of urgency, Pete emptied out his pockets.

"What—what are you doing?" Artie asked.

"Well…" Pete ripped a piece of paper with Myka's message on it and placed both halves on the floor of their containment chamber. "I figure, I can't see the walls. Can you?"

Artie shook his head with a "Nooo…"

"Right!" Pete spread his change out on the floor at various intervals. "So, I figure this way… we can at least see the walls closing in on us." Pete shrugged and smiled at his boss. Artie's eyes lit up and he dug into his pockets to add to the garbage on the floor.

The Warehouse supervisor started handing Pete various, random items. He padded a pocket then looked at Pete with wide eyes, making Pete say, "What?" Suddenly, Artie dug in his pocket and pulled out his Farnsworth. He stared at Pete for a second who shrugged. "Worth a try!" He encouraged.

Artie blinked. "Farnsworth's were designed to work any place on earth." He licked his lips and opened the device, holding his breath.

But Artie's shoulders dropped with a little sigh telling Pete that the Farnsworth wasn't working after all. The old man just stared at the device with a tic in his left eye. Pete walked up to him and clapped his hand on Artie's shoulder. "It was a good idea. What else you got in those earth colored pockets of yours?"

Artie glared through his glasses and sighed a sigh that was almost a growl, but he dug into his pockets and gave Pete the contents: A small screw driver, gum, (sugar free for his diet), two of Leena's cookies wrapped in a napkin (therefore busting said diet, which Artie tried to hide and take back) .78 cents in change, (USD and Canadian), three pencils, a white board marker, (Pete took the cap off for two indicators), two pens, three purple gloves, (Artie took those back and put them in his front pocket) a half used note pad, and a dead cell phone (because he never really used it). Artie's pockets were nearly as full as Pete's with random junk. When they were done, they had quite the little grid laid out on the floor.

Pete smiled and looked at their work. "Oh. Artie?"

"Yeah?"

"Myka's in Rapid Valley."

Artie looked at Pete like he couldn't decide if he was crazy or not. Pete pointed to where a piece of paper just evaporated. "That was your message from her. Just wanted to make sure you got it." Pete flashed a smile and got a combo huff/grin/head shake in return.

Pete smiled at seeing Artie smirk, but that went away quickly when the marker tip fried and went up in smoke. "Why is it collapsing _now?_" He asked Artie.

Artie shook his head a bit and waved his arms. "I- Maybe because we're here? We could be throwing off the balance of this place." Artie pushed the button on his old style flip cell phone, verifying that it was dead. Pete tilted his head in confusion when he shook it to make sure.

Artie tossed the phone on the 'floor' of the place. "Humans produce electricity, so… maybe that's part of the… the" he was distracted as a piece of paper went up in smoke. "problem…" he finished slowly.

Murmurs made them both look to the man sitting on the ground. Pete walked around to try to see Tony's face, but Artie scampered and hit his knees in front of the man. "Tony? Can you hear me? Tony?"

The comatose man started to show signs of life. He croaked out, "Artie…" It sounded like he had been screaming, or hadn't used his voice in years.

Artie looked deep into the man's eyes and softly said, "Tony! Hey! Hi!"

"You… you're real?" Tony looked at Artie with tired eyes and raised his hand to feel Artie's dirt brown shirt. Pete got behind Artie so that Tony could see him. He puffed up and tried to look tough just in case the man decided to go all gorilla again.

Artie smiled back. "Heh. Ya. We're real. And we're stuck in this… this **space** here with you. Can you tell us anything about where we are? Tony?"

Tony's raised his glazed eyes to Pete. The agent stared hard at him and tried to look tough. Tony blinked and said, "Sorry. (grunt) About that." and motioned loosely to his neck.

Slightly confused, Pete touched his neck and found blood. The crazy guy must have dug his fingernails into his neck when he was trying to pop Pete's head off earlier. _Fantastic._ Pete thought. _What am I going to do, bleed on him?_

Tony tried to clear his throat again and talk. Pete instantly felt bad. The guy could hardly talk and the first thing he did was apologize. It seemed to Pete like he might be a nice guy after all. When he wasn't trying to bash someone's jaw, that is.

A penny got zapped and vibrated into nothingness, bringing Pete's attention back to the issue at hand. Tony said, "I was in the section BR- 85, aisle 420 delta, across from Dante's Death mask." He stopped to swallow awkwardly and answered Artie's unasked question. "I've had lots of time to remember." He tries to smile. Pete could see where he was an attractive man once, before he was insane. "I heard static, then a bang, and I saw…"

"A portal?" Artie offered. Tony nodded and looked down, seeming to lose his voice, so Artie tipped his head down to try to catch his eye and continued for him. "And you ended up here?"

Tony nodded again. "How long?"

Artie blinked and glanced at Pete, as if for guidance. The younger agent raised his eyebrows in worry and support. Pete wondered how would Tony take the news. Artie quietly said, "Twenty six years."

Tony just blinked and stared at a spot on his pants for a long time. Pete just wondering if the news made him withdraw into himself again when a rubber band was fried into oblivion.

"Tony! Tony! Has this place contracted before?" Artie shook the man.

Tony slowly wagged his head. "Fifteen by twenty. (sigh) Fifteen by twenty feet. Always."

Artie looked up at another piece of change that got zapped, some Canadian coin with a maple leaf on it.

"What did he say?" Pete asked.

"Fifteen… Tony? The room? Is that how big this place is?" Artie asked hurriedly.

Tony nodded. "Always. Fifteen by twenty…" Pete glanced at the debris. The place was definitely _not_ 15 x 20 feet.

Another scrap went up away into oblivion. Artie grabbed Tony's arm. "C'mon. Get up!" Pete rushed up to assist in getting the big goon up.

"Uh, hate to be the bearer…. But I'm pretty sure that the pace is picking up." Pete said.

"Yeah. I noticed." Artie replied. "The walls are closing in faster."


	7. Going Out Like a Red Shirt

**I apologize for the short length. More to come.**

**CompromisedSerenity, you got me. The Canadian coin is a nod to Saul's nationality. Also, it does just kind of make sense that Artie would have foreign coins laying around doesn't it? :) And thank you, I strive to keep the stories similar to the show. Keep reviewing! **

**Rosa, you never know!**

**Welcome HH&W!  
**

**And hello Kendra.**

**Onwards!**

* * *

The three men turned back to back to back in the middle of the collapsing static room.

"I think that I've lived long enough now." Tony said with a croak.

"Well, it'll be a relatively fast death." Pete said hopefully.

"Not really the way I was planning on going!" Artie replied.

"Me neither!" Pete said as another coin, four feet away, disappeared. "I was planning on going out more like Superman than a red shirt!"

Pete felt the stares and turned to see Artie and even Tony looking at him. "What?" He said with a goofy shrug.

Artie's cell phone rattled and smoked before it broke up violently and disappeared, reminding them of the collapsing walls. "Three feet!" Artie called out.

"Two!" Tony replied. The three of them shuffled away from Tony's wall and a bit closer to Artie's. The move probably gave them another 5 seconds of life.

Pete swallowed hard. _ This is it: how it's going to end._ He thought. He decided that he had no regrets. "No place I'd rather be right now." He said

"I can think of a few places." Artie replied dryly.

"Like Detroit." Tony said

"Yeah… not really the paradise it once was." Pete informed him.

"Two feet!" Artie cried.

"Two feet!" repeated Tony.

"Ditto…" Pete said.

Suddenly, Pete had a vision of the Warehouse. _This didn't happen the last time I faced death. Wait!_ He thought. But- it really **was** the Warehouse! "Artie! The portal!"

Artie turned around quickly. Myka's face came into view in the middle of the multi colored, wavy portal. "Hi guys! What's up?" She grinned broadly.

The window into the Warehouse was by Pete's feet. "_Myka Move!"_ Pete bent down and turned around to reach for the older men but he was roughly shoved out. The portal happened to be about four feet off of the concrete floor of the Warehouse. Suddenly, Pete was falling and landed hard on the flat of his back, knocking the wind right out of him. Myka bent over her partner, worried. "Room collapsing…" Pete croaked out.

She sucked in a breath and looked up. "Artie!"

They heard sounds of a struggle. "Wait!" "No!" "Go!" _Zap!_ "Ow!" _**"Now!**_**"**

Pete struggled to sit up and watched Myka stick her arm into the portal. She grabbed something in the struggle, but got knocked about. "It's closing!" she screamed. Her arm brushed the side of the portal and got zapped. Suddenly, Artie was bodily thrown out from the collapsing room. Pete scrambled, but couldn't get out of the way. The very portly man flailed and fell on top of Pete, squishing him into the concrete.

Artie scrambled and quickly got to his feet. He cried, "Tony!" Pete managed to half-sit up and got a hand on Artie's shirt to try to hold him back. Even he could see that the portal was already too small for anyone else to get through. Fortunately, Myka got between Artie and the tiny, closing portal and physically held him back as he reached for it. "No!" he cried.

"Thank you Artie!" They heard Tony's voice leak through just as the portal closed completely.

Pete blinked and it was gone. The three agents were left staring in stunned silence.


	8. Twinkie Truck

**The short chapter is being released early. Another chapter will follow on Tuesday. Hopefully the quick released will help to make up for the short chapters.**  
**I mean- the quick update is just for you Rosa! :) Good luck on your exams!**

**CS- I'm flattered by your review. Keep up the wonderful critiques, please!**

**Thanks to Kendra for beta reading this chapter! :)**

* * *

Myka kept her grip on his arm. "Artie? What… who was that?"

The battered Warehouse supervisor took a step past Myka to where the portal was just a second ago. He put out a hand, not reaching anything but the normal Warehouse shelves. Artie blinked and licked his lips. His mouth opened twice, but nothing came out.

"Artie?" Myka moved next to him and touched his shoulder in concern.

The old man jerked and looked at her. "Tony."

"Who?"

"Tony Harper." Artie shut his eyes and shook his head. "He almost came back. I was so close…" He mumbled, letting the guilt wash over him. Myka's brow crinkled in sympathy; putting a hand on his shoulder in support. Artie swallowed, and nodded, acknowledging her.

Artie turned and brushed his hands over his brow and into his curls, making them stand straight up. He finally saw Pete, crumpled on the floor. "Pete!" He rushed over to his agent and knelt down, grabbing Pete's burnt and bloodied shirt to shake him and lift him up a bit with a boss's nerves. "What are you do—are you okay?"

Pete doesn't try to move while he groaned out, "I got hit by a twinkie truck…" The boyish agent cracked his eyelids to see Myka suppressing a smile as she watched Artie's reaction.

Artie froze, then huffed and dropped Pete back to the concrete. "Ow!" Pete grabbed the back of his head and winced. "Really Artie?" Pete laughed, but ended up in a cough that sent shocks of pain through his chest and shoulder. Pete was back on the concrete again with Myka and Artie leaning over him. "It was a big truck." Pete eeked out.


	9. Twelve Minutes Too Late

**All kinds of thanks are due on this chapter.  
First off to LadyNRA for writing the first version of this chapter then letting me warp it extensively to suit my purposes.**

**Also to Kendralynora for the extensive beta read/edit.**

**CompromisedSerenity, Thanks for the review. If you get an account here, I can respond to your review more extensively. It's free.**

**Yob3, yes! Twinkie truck! Lol. Has a ring to it doesn't it? )**

**Thanks to Pete, and Rosa. :)**

* * *

Artie and Myka helped Pete to his feet. "Are you okay?" The woman asked him. Artie patted the previously fallen man, roughly; dusting him off.

"Yeah, Myka. Fine." Pete reassured his partner and waved their boss away from him.

Satisfied that Pete was in one piece, Artie looked to the area where the portal used to be, and then up to the zip line that spanned the distance above the Warehouse shelves. "That came from… - why now?" Suddenly, he turned and started rapidly walking. "We have to get back to the office." He said as a matter of explanation after the fact.

Myka took over for Artie and swept some dirt away from her partner's shirt before she realized it was a scorch mark. "Hey, are you sure that you're alright?" She asked.

"Myka, I'm _fine!_ Come on, let's go." He followed after Artie with the brunette close behind.

Myka had many questions as they raced to the office, but had not the opportunity to ask her distracted boss. Pete simply didn't know how or why the portal opened and Artie was too deep in thought to allow himself to be sidetracked. The eldest of the trio's eyes darted from side to side as he occasionally muttered to himself whilst talking out his mental hang-ups. He navigated to the office on the subconscious map of the Warehouse embedded so deep in his brain that it was second nature.

"It's just..." Myka over heard Artie muttering to himself in partial sentences that consisted of, "Need to-" and "How do I-", hey were quick succession which she knew he would never finish. His mind was already fifty paces ahead and gaining momentum, though they were never going to get satisfactory answers until he actually stopped, which wasn't likely to happen while there was a puzzle to solve.

With a quickness seemingly bred into him, Artie was already half-way up the stairs to the office when his two agents reached the bottom. Their supervisor turned only momentarily to glance quickly at them, either to make sure they were safe, or at the very least, nearby. Pete admired how energetic and agile the man was despite his considerable years and pudgy physique.

Even after taking the steps two at a time, the duo found the office door open, when they reached the top. Artie was already inside at his desk furiously launching searches. "Why now? Why… now…?" He reiterated to himself, as if repeating the question would present the answer.

Pete fell into a chair, pumped from the adventure, but worn out too. Myka selected a seat directly beside their whirlwind of a boss.

"No, no." Artie waved his hands at her, which stopped her half way down making her stand back up. Artie gestured towards the Warehouse. "You, you have to deploy..." Artie said as a full coherent idea finally occurred to him. His chubby hand flew to his head, reinforcing the thought. "The supermoon." He muttered; eyes flicking to some unseen object.

"What?" Myka looked to Pete who shrugged in ignorance. "Artie, what? The supermoon? Does that have something to do with the zip line and the portal?"

Pete asked, "What's a supermoon? Oh, wait!" The man lit up, "I know what it is. That's like the location of Watchtower!"

Myka turned to her partner only to give him a questioning look before shaking her head at him.

"What? Seriously Mykes. There's one on the moon."

"Pete!" She snapped.

He huffed, "Yeah, yeah, okay, okay," then turned to the senior agent and asked, "What's a supermoon then, Artie?"

"When a full, or new, moon is in its closest approach to the Earth, it's perceived to be at its biggest possible size. The effect is mostly visual." Artie filled in. He nearly leapt at his computer in his eagerness to pound on its keys. "But sometimes," Artie paused to dramatically slap the enter key

"-the Warehouse reacts to celestial bodies passing in close proximity, or lined up just so. There was a supermoon recently—Ah! Yes! It was last night." Pete got to his feet and with Myka, they flanked their supervisor on either side to see what he was looking at.

Artie talked faster, his excitement getting the best of him. "Maybe the Warehouse reacted to the alignment of the sun, earth and moon. The static energy created by running the zip line reacted and it was enough to react and open up the portal."

Artie paled, "Oh no."

"What?" Pete asked. He hated it when Artie got that look.

Artie swallowed hard. "It already ended." He pointed one of his chubby fingers at the screen where the start time of the supermoon was listed right above the end time. It ended twelve minutes ago.


	10. Grounded

**Thanks for kendralynora for her review and for the wonderful help that she offered me on the last chapter.**

**Also to CS. Great comments, as always. :)**

**Onwards!**

* * *

The old man continued his disjointed actions and ramblings. Pete could tell that his partner was trying to be patient with him. Through an unspoken language, Myka took over handling Artie, allowing Pete the time to come down from the nearly constant adrenalin high that he's been on nearly all day. Pete grabbed a small towel and tried to rub some of the dry blood from his neck. He glanced in the mirror and patted his hair. At least his moose held up. The same couldn't be said about his burnt and blood speckled shirt.

Artie slammed a book closed and shoved it aside to grab a different, really old and dusty book and violently flip through that book's pages. His hand went to his head and scratched in a sign of frustration. "I… If only…" he shook his head and flipped another page.

"Damn!" Artie loudly slammed his hand down on the desk. Taking a breath, he collected himself and hung his head. "We almost had him." He said softly. Myka looked at Artie with genuine concern then raised her eyes to Pete. Pete's heart went out to the big guy, but he didn't think there was anything else that they could have done. Artie muttered and let the guilt wash over him. "He almost came back. I was so close…"

Myka couldn't take anymore. She got up to stand next to Artie, her brow crinkled in sympathy. She put a hand on his shoulder and emotionally said, "It sounded like you did save him Artie."

Artie swallowed, taking in her words and nodded. He looked at Myka, who was intently backing up her words, and nodded again. "Yeah." It was more of an acknowledgement of Myka's attempt at comfort than agreeing with her.

Myka smiled a sad smile. She let a moment pass then said, "What was that voice from the portal?"

Artie glanced up, then suddenly took off across the room. In another moment, he was back with a picture frame. He handed it to Myka and roughly pointed a chubby finger on the glass. "Tony. Tony Harper. Disappeared in '86 doing inventory." A clean cut group of people looked out of the black and white picture. Among them was a young Artie and a same-age Mrs. Fredric. But Myka's attention was directed to the large man with the cropped hair cut.

"Apparently, he was trapped in a sort of time worm hole. The portal that you…" Artie stopped mid sentence and stared at Myka. "How _did_ you get the portal opened again?"

Pete leaned forward. That was a very good question.

Myka tore her eyes from the old picture in her hands. "Oh! I recreated the event. Leena said that it all happened when she went does the zip line, so I just-" she trailed off.

"Just what?" Pete prodded.

"Sent Leena down it." Myka's eyes narrowed in thought. "She should be back by now."

"You sent Leena?" Artie asked carefully.

Myka thought a bit. "Ya. Once she explained what happened, we decided to use the zip line again. So she took a little shove to get her off, but who doesn't their first time?" Myka finished talking and looked at Artie and Pete, who were sitting in silence.

Suddenly, Artie was a flurry of motion. Pete jumped up to follow him in the search for Leena. "Where's the Edison car? Is it here?" Artie asked Pete, who shrugged and got an annoyed glare from his boss.

"It's down stairs." Myka filled in.

"Ok, we'll take that." Artie grabbed his bag and threw something random into it on his way for the door. Pete followed closely behind him and ran into the old man when he stopped. "Pete. Stay here."

"What? No Artie. You go, I go."

Artie drew himself up and went. "Uh hu." He stepped closer to his younger agent. Pete managed to prevent his leg from shaking in its silent protest of having to bear his weight again so suddenly.

Artie's eyes flicked down and he poked Pete right where he got kneed in the ribs. The ensuing grunt and slight cringe was enough to prove his point.

Artie sighed. "Stay here. We'll be back." He moved towards the door again. "Trailer!" Artie's dog lifted his head and perked his ears up. "Keep an eye on him." Artie held the door open for Myka and they both left down the Warehouse balcony to retrieve Leena.

Pressing his lips in annoyance at being left behind, Pete casted a frustrated look at Trailer who groaned and stared at him, following orders. "Oh very funny." Pete said back to the dog.


	11. Conundrum

**First things first. Credit to LadyNRA for writing the second half of this chapter. I have had to redo several small things to make it work, but the vast majority of it is still hers. The first half is mine. All mistakes are probably mine as well. **

**Mondo thanks go out to Kendralynora for not only reviewing, but editing this chapter**

**Rosa, thanks for the comment. I have to comment on your Buffy chapter. :)**

**CS- I answered your questions already. I hope that you like the next chatper.**

**Kendralynora, please thank Myka for me. Your reviews are interesting as always!**

**Onwards!**

* * *

A few aisles later, Myka directed Artie to the point where she told Leena to try to land at. She looked up in annoyance; wondering where the woman had gotten herself stuck and why she wasn't answering. Right behind that annoyance, worry and a bit of fear was starting to establish itself. "Leena, where are you!"

Artie's sharp voice responded to her question, "Myka!"

Myka turned to look at her boss behind her on the car. She followed his finger's upwards trajectory. Leena was still in the zip line harness and stuck over twenty-five feet in the air. Artie pulled the Edison car underneath the dangling woman and stopped short, setting the brake. Both agents leapt from the car. Myka got underneath Leena and called to her, but there was no response.

It was tough for Myka to see the usually vibrant and caring woman hanging from the zip line, but it looked to her like Leena was unharmed. The clairvoyant's legs were tense, with her feet flexed. The brunette tilted her head to try to get a better view. She couldn't see why Leena wasn't responding. She didn't appear injured, and her body posture wasn't slumped over indicating that she had passed out, so she probably could hear Myka calling to her. The agent couldn't figure out the problem. "Leena! Hey up there!"

"Myka!" Artie's voice came from the other aisle. The woman on the ground, turned and tracked his voice down.

"Here, help me with this." The old agent was, as always, in rapid speed, pulling and stowing legs and handles on what looked like a small table of four foot scaffolding except that there were large gears and a panel of levers attached to the front. Myka blinked and approached the contraption, not sure what to do. "Take that." Artie roughly motioned to a post with a handle on the top of it. Myka tentatively took the handle and pulled. The post came towards her, releasing a brake with a click.

"No, no, don't pull, just—just steer. Back to Leena." Artie directed. Then his pepper gray head disappeared behind the device as he put his shoulder into it and pushed.

Between the two of them, they moved the small table, or large amount of scaffolding, back to the aisle where Leena was suspended from.

Myka acted on an inkling and called out to the woman again, "Just relax, Leena! We're almost there. Okay?" In a strange sort of reward, she heard a little whimper from the innkeeper.

"Okay, okay…" Artie cranked his neck up to judge the position. "Right here. Okay stop." Myka huffed and pushed the handle up; resetting the brake. She took a step backwards and watched Artie deftly maneuver a series of spinning flyweights, handles, and lights. He set the device whirring then looked up, then to Myka.

"Okay," Artie pointed to a handle, "Use that to extend and retract the ladder." Myka blinked at the realization that the table-like scaffolding was a ladder. "I'm going to ride it up, and get Leena, so um… " He ducked down and reached under the scaffolding, or in technicality, its rungs, to pull out a safety harness. He pointed up. "Just get me close but not- not too close! Once I have Leena on the ladder you can take us down." His motion had him orientating the harness for him to step through, which he did in his usual quick motion. He buckled the equipment in place a second later.

"Okay- wait- 'ride' Artie?" Myka said.

"Uh, yeah," Without further explanation, the stout man hefted himself onto the ladder/contraption; standing on top of the machine. He grabbed a shelf for support and reached down with his foot, kicking a handle downwards. The furthest and thinnest part of the ladder started to rise up. As it passed him, Artie grabbed the top rung and stepped on. It lifted the portly agent into the air towards the dangling Leena. Artie clipped the safety harness onto the ladder as he rose up into the air.

Suddenly there was a loud crunch, followed by fireworks of multi-coloured sparks, and the stench of burning lubricant. The ancient device groaned like some enormous and hellish creature experiencing great agony in its final death-throes. Literally. It died right then and there.

The motion of the device came to an abrupt halt and shook Artie enough to force his footing to falter. A moment later, he was dangling from the safety belt, the closure of metal still tightly secured around its anchoring point.

Myka heard two things at once, both Leena crying out softly, and Artie shouting with the shock of it all. Artie then began muttering mild expletives as the belt encircling his waist, put a serious squeeze around his ample midsection. Growling loudly in frustration, he reached out and snagged the ladder, using his left hand and one leg to pull himself back to safety. Artie was back on a rung, quickly, but he was looking a bit bluish-green from nausea and lack of oxygen. The old man clutched the old wooden support with both hands and just stood there gasping.

Meanwhile, Leena was still suspended and of absolutely no help. Myka looked around furiously, as if some plan would present itself. Instinct and experience had her heading towards the ladder invention and climbing up on it before she knew it.

She got no more than two rungs up when Artie's voice boomed out. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted down to Myka. Though, it wasn't intended as a question; he wasn't happy.

Myka glanced up to meet his eyes. They were both hard and concerned. "I was coming to get you," she replied, "but I guess it's not necessary now."

His glasses slid way down his nose; he took a second to poke them back into place before agreeing with Myka. "You've got that right, kiddo!" Despite the hint of chastisement in the tone, Myka caught herself smiling. Artie usually reserved that one for Claudia, not his older agents. In the few seconds that passed, he had already climbed farther down, moving with more assurance. Without looking at Myka, he said, "Good thing you didn't try coming up after me. For now, this thing is kaput, and I seriously doubt-"

He stopped speaking and looked up as Leena began muttering. There was some slightly coherent to her words, although they still didn't quite make sense.

"Seriously doubt-?" Myka prompted.

"Oh, uh, I doubt this was made to support two people. Modern fire service ladders...sure...but not this." He used one hand to quickly point down.

Then, Myka got an idea. She started off, before she heard from behind her, "Hey, where do you think you're going?" The old guy didn't sound happy.

He knew that Myka wouldn't abandon him, so he guessed that she had something else up her sleeve which distressed him. Even in this time of need, he didn't want anyone tampering with the artifacts, even if it might assist him.

"Getting something more reliable than that ancient hunk of junk!" Myka hollered back.

His thick right eyebrow virtually rose to zip line level. "And what would that be?" he asked as he unhooked himself and climbed down, slowly reaching out each foot to make sure he was in contact with the lower rung, before taking another step down.

"I was just thinking...snorkel." He gives Myka a perplexed look. She realized that he was probably thinking of SCUBA equipment, so she restated, "Articulating platform."

Then, Myka saw recognition flash across his features. He made the kind of face that said that he was doing a mental head-slap. "Cherry-picker," the two agents said in perfect unison. He then added in a more sardonic tone, "Why didn't I think of that? Because it's way over by Peoria 256C, that's why."

All the way at the across the Warehouse, Myka translated. "_There's always Evil Kneivel's motorcycle,_" Myka thought.

As if reading her mind, he jabbed a finger in Myka's direction and growled, "Don't even think about it. I'll get it."

Myka wasn't sure if he meant the motorcycle or the cherry picker. Since Claudia started helping Artie in the office, he had gotten a lot better at reading minds, and that was without aid of the Fez mind-link.

"You stay here! You're not certified on that piece of machinery yet."

"_Ah, definitely the cherry picker._" Myka thought with a slight grin.

"And you're clearly NOT Kneivel."

"What, I could be from Montana," Myka joked, uncharacteristically.

He didn't buy it. "From the way you drool over the Leafs, I'd sooner buy Toronto…" He said absently as he passed her by. Moving a few more steps, he turned and pointed at the broken contraption. "As soon as I get back, we'll move this thing out of the way."

As he disappeared around the end of an isle onto another broader avenue, Myka glance toward the ceiling and the small figure still stuck up there. "Hang on, Leena, we're going with plan B!"


	12. Leena

**Thanks for the reviews!  
**

**CS - Yes hockey! And Thanks for the ladder compliment. Here comes plan B.**

**Rosa C.- Sorry, no motorcycle this time, maybe in a later story!**

**The Gang - Wow! Thanks! Um- Artie, Kendralynora and Claudia! (Keep your hand there for a moment please C. ;)**

**I apologize that this story has devolved into fluff and not a firm story line. But- this is what this is. So, lets continue!**

**Edited (heavily) by Kendralynora**

* * *

From Myka's perspective, Leena's legs appeared to have moved slightly. "Leena? You doing all right up there?" Myka called up to her. It wasn't that she expected an answer, but the agent felt like she still had to ask; wanting to get Leena talking. To her surprise, a squeak came from the figure hanging on the zip line. "Leena?"

"D-d- down!"

Pity filled a smile from the agent. It wasn't like they weren't trying to get her down. "We're going to. Artie will be right back-"

"Now!" Leena managed to scream.

"If you want, just pull the release tabs and-"

"NO!"

The woman below smiled again; her eyes still raised to the woman suspended in space. "Then you'll have to wait a bit. Artie will be right back." Myka took a seat on the edge of the broken ladder contraption and tried to make herself comfortable as she tried to think of a conversation to help Leena relax.

Leena stuttered, "N-never… again. If I get down- down from here … "

Myka sighed upon hearing Leena's words. Leena apparently didn't appreciate the agent's effort at striking up a conversation. The agent came up with another comment on dinners at the B&B when she heard and felt a deep vibration. Her eyes darted around the aisle in confusion until the sound got loud enough to tell her that it was machinery. A few seconds later, Artie pulled up to the end of the aisle in a cherry picker. He put the truck into park, unable to drive into the narrow aisle.

Myka went down the aisle to the truck as Artie climbed out. He held a different, and newer, safety harness in his hands and looked up to Leena. "How's she doing?"

Myka shrugged. "Same. Pretty upset with me." Artie did a double take at that, his brown eyes requesting clarification. It wasn't like Leena to get upset at anyone aside from himself, and he had to push her to get that reaction. Myka explained, "I got her out on the zip-line in the first place. Only way to get the portal open again." Myka sighed; glancing up at Leena dangling motionless.

Myka sighed again, then turned around suddenly; hearing noise. She hadn't noticed her boss scurrying away. "Artie?" she called when she realize that he was climbing the truck. She suppressed a smile at seeing the shorter stature man having difficulty getting his short legs onto the steps on the side of the truck. "Don't you think that I should, you know… go up?" Artie firmly shook his head. She could see that he was in a mood where it was better not to get in his way. After a moment of watching him struggle, she offered, "Do you need-?" She gestured upward with her one hand.

Artie glanced at her with more than a little embarrassment. "Would you mind?"

"Sure." Myka barely stopped herself from smiling at his height and weight difficulty as she positioned herself behind him and gave him a leg up. As he grabbed onto the side of the truck, she turned and firmly pushed her boss's broad back up.

A moment passed before the basket on the truck started to lift into the air. Artie's grey curls appeared over the basket of the cherry picker as he looked up to his target, Leena. Myka followed Artie's progress then frowned. She eyeballs the distance to Leena and her frown deepened.

* * *

Artie kept his eyes out as he used the control panel to move the basket towards Leena. He knew that he was extending the boom a long way, but he was almost to the woman hanging in mid-air. His face crinkled in sympathy at finally seeing Leena up close. The usually calm woman's face was scrunched in terror, her eyes firmly clamped shut. Her fists were clenched around the straps so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Artie shoved the joystick forward a little harder. He was almost within range of Leena. The agent actually started leaning slightly over the bucket in eagerness as he approached the woman. "Leena?" Artie was thrown forward when the basket suddenly stopped, shoving the control panel into his gut; making him grunt.

The disheveled supervisor pushed himself upright. Shoving the joystick got him no further forward motion; the truck's arm was fully extended. Artie evaluated the distance. Leena was less than two metres away from the basket.

"Leena?" Artie called to the woman softly. "Hey Leena. Can you hear me? Hey."

The trembling woman raised her eyebrows. "A-Artie?"

Artie smiled. "Yeah. I'm here. Listen, I need you to open your eyes."

"Get me down!"

"I'm going to. But- open your eyes for me." He said delicately to her.

"N-no!" Leena raised her voice, uncharacteristically.

"Leena! I need-" Artie put his arm out, but fell short of her. "I need you to reach out for me."

Leena seemed to hunker down in her harness and tighten her death grip. "I can't! I'm going to fall!"

Artie huffed in frustration. "You're not going to fall. But-" He stretching out over the edge of the basket. "I can't- can't get to you. You'll have to reach out to me."

He adjusted his grip and extended himself out again for Leena. His safety harness stretched to the limit and pulled against him. He grunted in frustration at being about two feet short.

"Artie!" Myka's voice came from the floor of the Warehouse. "Be careful!"

"I can't reach… just short!" He hollered back down. Hearing that, Leena sniffled emotionally.

Artie gathered himself back into the basket properly and considered his actions.

"Leena. I _need_ you to reach out for me." He clenched his jaw in annoyance when Leena just shook her head. "I can't get to you. You have to reach out for me so that I can _grab you_ and pull you into the basket." His voice got stronger with frustration.

Seeing no results from the frozen clairvoyant, Artie tried again. "Listen to me. You are not going to fall. You are going to be ok. But right now, I need you to let **go** of the harness and _reach out for me!"_

Leena swallowed hard. Hearing Artie so close, she chanced a peek. Unfortunately, she looked down and saw the twenty foot drop, making her clamp her eyes shut again and whimper.

"No! No! Look at me! Leena! Look at me!" Artie said quickly, a second too late.

"N.. I'm going to fall!" Leena whimpered.

Artie sighed and mentally cringed at his options. Against his better judgment, he unhooked his safety harness. "Leena, I'm coming out for you. Don't…." he looked down at the drop and quickly pulled his eyes back up to Leena with a nervous gulp. "Just don't move suddenly." He finished quietly.

Artie opened the door to the picker and leaned out. "Artie!" Myka screamed from the floor. "Get back in! We'll find another way!"

The old man ignored her and reached out for Leena. He was only a foot away. Reaching back and adjusting his feet again, he stretched out, desperately trying for the last few inches. Straining to his max, Artie got a finger tip on Leena's harness. He gasped, and reached again, making Leena sway just slightly. Leena whimpered from the movement.

Artie took a breath and timed Leena's small sway. As she moved towards him, he stretched with all he had and got a fingertip wrapped inside of a loop on her harness.

"Ha!" Artie pulled and got two more fingers inside of the harness strap. He pulled again and Leena started to inch on the zip line towards him. He pulled harder, to slide her over, but that made him lose his grip on the basket. Artie tried to correct, but it was too late; he was falling. His left hand instantly tightened around the straps on Leena's harness as his feet swung into the open air.

Myka screamed his name from below, which didn't help the fear that rose up and clenched his chest when Artie and Leena swung mid-air high above the Warehouse.


	13. Pete's Beat

**Thanks to Rosa and to CS for the reviews! And thanks to you two for calling me on a lousy chapter. I hope this rerelease is better! I know that it will be because it was edited by Kendrlynora! Everyone thanks you Kendralynora. :)**

* * *

A huge effort got Artie's other hand up to the harness, that he and Leena were dangling mid-air by. He swung high above the Warehouse; grabbing the harness a little lower down, getting both hands onto the lifesaving straps.

"Aaaarrrrtttiiieee!" Leena shrieked. "Get me _down!"_

"I'm **_TRYING!_**" he yelled back.

Feet dangling, Artie twisted and turned. He finally saw the basket, "Okay! Okay, Leena, swing!" He started kicking his feet to get their momentum initiated, and scoot the few feet to the basket. "**Leena!** I need you **_now!_**"

Finally, Leena responded. Not opening an eye, she joined Artie in swinging her feet, crying softly all the way. "Good! Good!" Artie encouraged as they inched the zip line harness closer to the basket. The old boss's arms were quivering; quickly tiring from supporting his substantial weight, but he remained focused; his astute mind concentrating on what mattered most, the basket.

Myka tore her eyes away from the trapeze-like dramatics, to quickly scan the Warehouse shelves for any artifacts that might catch falling agents. Seeing none, she returned to watch helplessly from the ground.

A final swing got the dangling pair within reach of the basket. Sweaty and breathing heavy, Artie let go of the harness with his left hand to reach out, but missed the side of the bucket. Leena screamed his name when she felt him dangling again by one hand; knowing his arm strength would be rapidly diminishing. In desperation, she opened her eyes and stretched out. The frightened lady grabbed the edge of the basket and pulled them both along the zip line until they reached the open door of the basket.

Leena got a foot on the floor of the basket. Still attached to the zip line; she couldn't fully enter the safety of the cherry picker. Keeping one hand on the lip of the basket, she grabbed Artie's shirt, trying to pull him to safety.

The floor of the basket hit Artie mid chest. His free left arm caught the inside of the bucket where he then started to pull himself in. Artie grunted and whimpered; his strength zapped from the whole ordeal. Leena grabbed Artie's belt and pulled. Finally, the round agent rolled into the basket, sweaty, red faced and out of breath.

Quickly, he was on his feet. Artie wrapped his arm securely around Leena and pulled both of her release straps; freeing her from the line. Leena's legs promptly buckled and the pair fell down awkwardly in the small basket. Artie pulled her down on top of him; trying not to crush two people in the same day. He kicked the door closed, securing them inside, then let his head fall back in exhaustion while he gasped for breath.

* * *

"Are you two okay?" Myka called up; seeing just the greying supervisor in the cherry picker. Her boss nodded in response before ducking into the basket; out of sight.

The grey curls reappear; pulling up a white and shaky Leena. Between Artie's strong grip on her elbow and Myka helping from below, they manage to get their innkeeper down from the truck, to the Warehouse floor.

Myka eyed the little woman suspiciously. "Leena, are you okay?"

Leena held up a hand to her; gulping, she straightened herself up to her full height. The clairvoyant exuded a pissed off aura that was clear to all, as she set her eyes on the path to the office. She stubbornly marched forward, stumbling with the first step. Myka grabbed her; steadying her back on her own feet. Leena winced and put her finger up, silencing the female agent before she could say anything. The innkeeper gathered herself again and resumed her march to the office, all be it by a windy, wobbly path to her heading.

Artie jumped down from the truck. Feet back on the ground and no one in immediate danger, he sighed a huge sigh and looked like the weight of the world was removed from his shoulders. Myka and he exchanged smirks as they both follow Leena back to the office.

* * *

The trio trudged their way back to the metal staircase and up to Artie's office. Leena huffed at the top, still trying to stop her knees from knocking. Artie stuck close behind her and put his hand on her back. "Doing all right?" he asked as he tilted his head to look into her face. Leena nodded and gulped breathlessly. Artie nodded back and held the door open for the two ladies.

Leena breathed a sigh of relief at finally entering the warm, organic-ness of Artie's office in gratitude of finally being safe again.

Artie put an arm out and helped the recovering, Leena, to a seat. Myka headed for the couch; intending to fall into the cushions, but she was held up when seeing Pete, soundly passed out in it. His left arm was off the edge of the sofa and touching Trailer, who lifted his head and pricked his ears in greeting to the group.

Myka let out an "Oh!" of surprise at seeing the condition of the sleeping Pete and his clothes. Hearing the gasp, Artie and Leena walked up on either side of her.

Leena motioned to a bit of dried blood on Pete's battered shirt, "What happened to him?"

Artie bit his lip, "Ahm… Well… we were attacked. But he's fine," He added quickly.

Leena pointed to the burn mark in his shirt, "Well what's that?"

"Ah… A burn. From—erm… something."

"And that?" She pointed to a different burn on Pete's sleeve.

Artie cringed and tilted his head, "Yeah well, another burn."

Leena let her eyes drift over Pete and settled on his bare and burned foot, "And that? Another burn?"

Myka, recognizing a burn when she saw one answered, "Yes. But that's minor."

Leena shook her head in near disbelief. Pete let out a snore. His mouth hung open. "Then what's wrong with him?"

Artie and Myka look at each other. The man shrugged slightly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Myka said, "Artie squashed him."

"He _what?"_ Leena exclaimed.

Artie huffed in offence and Myka smiled, but just then Claudia came into the office from doing inventory. "Hey guys! What'd I miss?"

The room sat in an awkward silence. When the tech's curiosity finally hit its peak; she took a step forward and looked to Pete lying on the couch. "What happened to him?"

"Artie squashed him," Myka repeated.

Claudia quietly said, "You 'squished' him?" Her face spread into a grin of mixed horror and morbid enjoyment of a joke with the possibility to last for months.

Artie caught her, slightly sinister, facial reaction, and huffed with a grimace. "Not, really… Maybe… I wouldn't call it that…"

Claudia dramatically snapped her head to look at Myka. She nodded and restated, "Squished."

The redhead broke out into a huge grin, "Really? Artie- you squashed him? As in pancake? As in coyote chasing road runner cartoon 'splat?'"

Artie groaned and left the room, chased by Claudia. "I'm surprised that he survived actually! Do I have to fix the crack in the concrete?" She peppered jokes at his retreating back; practically stepping on his heals while following him out into the umbilicus.


End file.
